One of Relay’s major strengths is the technical expertise of its delivery crews. As well as transporting and delivering fragile high value equipment, they also carry out installation, testing and staff familiarisation at the end-user destination. Ensuring a high quality PDI process requires rigorous in-depth preparation.
In the case of Sharp Electronics, the training closely involved Nissin UK, the company’s dedicated logistics provider for over 25 years. Nissin manages Sharp’s national distribution centre at Daventry and most of Sharp MFPs are delivered to dealers. However, Relay has now been engaged to carry out a nationwide out-of-box and installation service direct to end users, which include local authorities, educational establishments and businesses.
The first priority for Relay was to look at projected delivery volumes for different parts of the UK and evaluate exactly what service levels would be required. We established how many crews would need to be trained at each depot and decided that the main training focus would be on Iver.
Excellent three-way collaboration between Sharp, Nissin and Relay is ensuring the programme succeeds. Based at Nissin’s Daventry depot, training covers the many types and grades of Sharp MFP photocopier, together with relevant equipment and peripherals.
Grant Kenward, Head of Supply Chain for Sharp Electronics, explained how Relay had presented to their sales and logistics personnel, emphasising the importance of site surveys and carrying out a dry run installation to demonstrate the complexities involved. “We visited Relay’s facility and were shown their impressive order tracking operation. They have worked very closely with our technical department and have demonstrated excellent professionalism from the outset.”
So far 12 Relay staff from Iver and 6 from Warrington have been trained, split into small groups. Delivery volumes are constantly being monitored and further personnel will be trained to meet any predicted increase in demand.
Steve Fletcher, Nissin UK’s Operations General Manager, explained: “About 50 PDI deliveries with varying quantities of equipment are currently being carried out every month, as well as a number of collections, re-sites and exhibitions. This is a departure from our core warehousing and distribution business and we are very pleased with how Relay has helped us with implementing the programme.”